Canoe capsized; park rangers rescue two women from Delaware River

Two women were rescued from the Delaware River on Sunday evening after their canoe overturned just past Karamac Bridge near the Delaware Water Gap Toll Bridge.

According to National Park Service spokeswoman Kathleen Sandt, the women — one from New Jersey and one from East Stroudsburg; both in their early 20s — were boating with friends when their canoe flipped over and became submerged and pinned against trees in the 55-degree Delaware River water.

Around 5:20 p.m., a call came into Monroe County Control Center, and crews from the park responded to the scene, as well as Portland Hook and Ladder, which remained on standby with boats staged at the water’s edge ready to jump in if needed, she said.

Both women were surrounded by water, with one stranded on a small pile of debris and the other standing on a small sapling, Sandt said. The one on the sapling was close to Schellenberger Island, which is visible north of the Interstate 80 bridge, but the water current was so swift that she couldn’t make it to the island.

Sandt said that due to the heavy rains on Friday, the river was up 5 feet. Its usual depth is 6 feet. When the water height reaches 8 feet, wearing lifejackets is mandatory for boaters, she said. The women had life jackets, but were not wearing them. The jackets were washed away when the canoe capsized.

After two park rangers navigated through trees submerged in the high water, they rescued the women. The woman on the debris pile was pulled into the boat first, then the rangers threw a lasso to the second woman. She placed the lasso around her torso and was pulled to the safety of the boat, Sandt said. The women were taken to Kittatinny Point, where they met up with friends.

Neither woman was injured in the ordeal, and no medical treatment was needed.